Authors(s) and Affiliation(s)

Abstract

Cryopediments are quite common bedrock-eroded surfaces in contemporary and Pleistocene permafrost environment. They developed due to back-wearing of slopes. The down-wearing of their surface is especially in soft sediments an important process. The retreat of slopes is a result mainly of frost weathering, nivation, gravitational slope processes, rill-erosion and suffosion. The main processes operating on cryopediments are sheetwash and gelifluction. It is possible that in some places the development of the landforms described has continued from the Pliocene till the present. The older part of the pediments (from the Tertiary period) was strongly remodelled and obtained its present-day features under cryogenic conditions during the Middle and Late Pleistocene. The cryolithozone is an area both of intensive valley and planation surfaces development. - (l'Ed.)